The process to change your name legally may be a little more complex than one would think. Not because the process to change your name legally is difficult, but because of the number of agencies and businesses you need to notify of your new name. This is because government and financial agencies need to be careful of terrorist activity and identity theft. However, it means that you need to provide copies of your legal documents to many agencies after you change your name legally.
Who Do You Need to Notify Once You Change Your Name Legally?
Once you change your name legally, you will need to have all personal and legal documents updated to reflect your new name. This will save you unnecessary steps in the future when you need to prove your identity. Ensure all of your estate planning documents reflect your name change so that your heirs won’t have to take extra steps when they claim their inheritance.
Here are some of the agencies and people you should notify once you change your name legally:
- Schools
- Employers
- Social Security Administration
- DMV
- Post Office (fill out a change of address form)
- Passport Office
- Registrar of Voters
- Insurance Agencies
- Banks and Financial Institutions
- Creditors
- Debtors
- Utility Companies
- Telephone Companies
- Welfare Office
- Department of Record or Vital Statistics
- State Tax Agency
- Veterans Administration
Once you change your name legally, you have a legal right to change your name on documents. If anyone tries to deny the name change, you should ask to speak to a supervisor and explain that you changed your name legally. Some financial and identity-related institutions may have complex processes to register that you have changed your name legally to avoid identity theft. After you change your name legally, you will have the chance to get certified copies of your name change court order. Consider all the agencies above when deciding the number of copies to get.